Saving Seafood

NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina fishing lawsuit could reshape state’s coastal industry

February 10, 2026 — In a courthouse 120 miles up Interstate 40 from the Wilmington coast, the future direction of the state’s commercial and recreational fishing industries could soon be decided.

A trial is underway in Raleigh alleging that the state hasn’t effectively managed its fisheries, which are considered a natural resource to be managed for the benefit of all North Carolinians.

Both the state constitution and the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act bound North Carolina to rebuild any fishing stocks that get depleted, which has led the state to get involved in managing several commercially and recreationally important species, including flounder, shrimp, blue crab and striped bass.

But fishery groups and others have complained for years that the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has failed to adequately do this, leading the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina to sue the state in 2020.

After several court wins for the association against moves by the state to dismiss the case, the trial began Jan. 20.

“After more than five years of fighting to save our fisheries, we are very grateful for this day, when the future of this constitutionally protected, public-trust resource will finally get its day in court,” said David Sneed, the association’s executive director, in a news release. “We look forward to proving our case on the merits and ensuring that a legacy of sustainable coastal fisheries will be there for all our children and grandchildren.”

Read the full article at Star News Online

NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina Coastal Federation seeks commercial fishers for recovery project

January 30, 2026 — The North Carolina Coastal Federation is asking more commercial fishers to enlist in its Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project to locate and collect lost crab pots.

The Federation kicked off the project in January. For 12 years, the Federation worked in cooperation with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to remove lost crab pots from the North Carolina sounds and waterways.

“Every year, crab pots and other fishing gear are lost in our sounds in a variety of ways. Lost gear can get hung up or drift into channels, creating serious hazards for boaters, wildlife, and fishermen,” Federation representatives wrote in a press release.

Commercial fishers are hired to collect pots during the annual closure of internal coastal waters to all crab, eel, fish and shrimp pots. The closure runs Jan. 1-31 for waters north and east of the Highway 58 bridge over Bogue Sound to Emerald Isle, and March 1-15 for waters south and west of the Highway 58 bridge to Emerald Isle.

Read the full article at WECT

NORTH CAROLINA: N.C. Coastal Fisheries Coalition expands advisory team, adopts resolutions on blue crab and sheepshead regulations

November 10, 2025 — The North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition met on Wednesday, November 5, in Morehead City, where members advanced several new initiatives and voiced unified opposition to recent regulatory proposals from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

During the meeting, chairs of the coalition’s four standing committees—Education, Fishing Limits and Water Quality, Legislative, and Predation Management—shared updates on their initial work and priorities. The committees were formed in October to address key issues affecting the state’s commercial fishing industry.

Read the full article at Island Free Press

NORTH CAROLINA: Pamlico Sound survey continues without longtime research boat

November 7, 2025 — A state agency has been conducting research on aquatic life in an important North Carolina body of water since the late 1980s.

It’s collected valuable information that’s helped the state keep adequate fish stocks while protecting wild species.

Now, the boat that’s been used in this research for decades has been pulled out of the water.

Researchers have a plan to keep a valuable study afloat without their prized vessel, continuing a data set they’ve been building for decades.

“Our data is collected in the Pamlico Sound, it’s a very important region.” said Holly White, north district manager for the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.

White said the Pamlico Sound survey began in 1987.

Read th full article at Spectrum 1

Shrimp rise as overall North Carolina commercial catch dips

June 18, 2018 — North Carolina officials say commercial fishing in the state declined by weight last year even as shrimp volume increased to a record high.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries issued a release this month saying fishermen sold about 54 million pounds (24 million kg) of fish and shellfish to North Carolina dealers in 2017. That’s down about 9 percent from the previous year and below the five-year average.

But the $96.5 million estimated value of the catch was slightly higher than the previous year.

Biologists say the drop in volume is largely due to a decrease in hard blue crab landings by more than a quarter from the previous year.

Meanwhile, shrimp landings increased to the highest volume on record since the state began its current measurement program in 1994. The state reports that the value of the shrimp was nearly $30 million.

Read the full story at WRAL

North Carolina: Fishermen from across the state speak out against increased commercial fishing regulations

February 15, 2018 — WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. — Proposed changes to North Carolina commercial fishing regulations could threaten jobs across the state, and the supply of seafood to the region.

Nearly 100 people spoke out at an N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries meeting Wednesday night with most saying they are fearful for the future of their jobs and their families. Almost all were opposed to increased regulations on commercial fishing.

They say the commission’s proposed requirements could take away their right to earn a living.

One speaker also noted the general assembly should not be directing marine fishers to issue oyster leases, because the North Carolina Attorney General’s office found they were illegal.

“Our problem in the state is that we have lawmakers that do not possess a fishery degree that think they can manage our fishery from behind a desk in Raleigh and they need to let the folks with a degree, that the taxpayers pay to make the decision, manage our fishery,” said Scott Griffin.

One proposal would require license holders to make at least $10,000 annually through commercial fishing.

Opponents say that could wipe out part-time commercial fisherman who use fishing to supplement their income.

Read the full story at WECT

 

North Carolina: Tighter requirements for commercial fishing licenses proposed

January 22, 2018 — A proposal to tighten the requirements to get a commercial fishing license in North Carolina is nearing review by the state Marine Fisheries Commission following recommendations from a committee last week.

But any changes to the rules for being able to carry what is known as the Standard Commercial License would require the final approval of the N.C. General Assembly.

The panel, which was made up of commission Chairman Sammy Corbett, a commercial fisherman and dealer, recreation member Chuck Laughridge and scientist Mike Wickre, has submitted a list of five requirements. They will be subject to public comment before their presentation to the full commission at its February meeting in Wrightsville Beach.

Corbett noted in a press release from the Division of Marine Fisheries following the Jan. 11 meeting that the committee’s proposals “are not etched in stone.”

While the group’s meeting last week in Morehead City was open to the public, concerns have been raised over how they came about the proposal.

Because the committee was composed of just three commissioners, work on the plan took place in a less-than -open environment, according to some commercial industry advocates.

The meeting lasted just 30 minutes before the options were read into a motion, causing many to feel that the decisions were made outside the public’s eye.

Supporters of making changes to the rules, including Corbett, say that a number of recreational fishermen buy the $400 commercial license simply to get around catch limits, and then never sell what they catch.

“And if that in fact is happening, then it is an enforcement issue,” said Outer Banks Catch Chairperson Sandy Semans Ross. “Commercial fishing vessels must have a registration number on the vessel so they are easily spotted.”

“If a boat docks with a large catch and there is any question, Marine Patrol can ask who they are selling to and request a copy of the Trip Ticket when sold,” said Ross, who heads a group that promotes selling and serving locally-sourced seafood in stores and restaurants.

Read the full story at the Outer Banks Voice

 

Changes may be coming in the snapper/grouper fishery

November 15, 2017 — Dr. Michelle Duval of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, chair of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, anticipates a few changes to how the snapper/grouper fishery is managed after fishermen brought up some issues during the SAFMC’s Visioning Project last year.

“One of the things fishermen asked for was simpler regulations that would be easier to understand,” Duval said. “One example of this is in the shallow-water grouper fishery, where the bag limit is aggregate and may contain only one fish of certain species and not one of every species and even includes golden tilefish. Minimum sizes vary even within the grouper family, plus, there are established closures, and some species are prohibited entirely.

Read the full story at Carolina Sportsman

 

Could North Carolina’s fisheries management see biggest change in decades?

May 2, 2017 — The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission’s priorities would shift from sustainability to conservation under proposed legislation that commercial fishermen view as potentially dangerous to their trade.

House Bill 867, which is supported by N.C. Sound Economy and a multitude of environmental groups, explicitly states conservation would become the commission’s focus. Under the legislation, the nine-member commission that crafts rules for the state’s fisheries would also be granted the authority to tweak management plans at will outside of the typical five-year review schedule.

North Carolina had four depleted and 13 fisheries of concern, according to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ latest stock status report.

“We have found that it takes too long to make changes to the management of these species and that has caused many of our species to become depleted,” said David Knight, a N.C. Wildlife Federation policy analyst.

H.B. 867, supporters say, is grounded in science and would allow fisheries to make full recoveries by revamping the Fisheries Reform Act of 1997 — ultimately benefiting both commercial and recreational fishermen. Commercial fishermen view the legislation differently, claiming it gives a commission that has swung toward recreational fishermen too much sway.

Read the full story at The Daily News